File gave detailed account of users' whereabouts over extended periods of time.

The latest revelation about the National Security Agency's (NSA) expansive surveillance program isn't really a revelation at all. It comes from Germany's Der Spiegel magazine, which reports that smartphones powered by Apple's iOS, Google's Android, and Blackberry's operating systems are among the devices government spies exploit when they want to intercept a target's communications.

The NSA analysts are especially enthusiastic about the geolocation data stored in smartphones and many of their apps, data that enables them to determine a user's whereabouts at a given time.

According to one presentation, it was even possible to track a person's whereabouts over extended periods of time, until Apple eliminated this "error" with version 4.3.3 of its mobile operating system and restricted the memory to seven days.

The lack of specifics in the article makes it hard identify the iOS bug, but it sure sounds like the one a pair of researchers reported in April 2011. It allowed anyone with physical access to an iPhone or iPad, or potentially a data backup of the device, to reconstruct a detailed account of the user's comings and goings, often down to the second, over an extended period of time. The geolocation data was stored in an easy-to-read file that was updated in real time, putting users at increased risk should their devices, computers, or backups ever fall into the hands of a hacker or government snoop who knew about the undocumented behavior.

In the weeks following the disclosure by researchers Alasdair Allan and Pete Warden, Apple defended the behavior, which was most likely intended to improve the performance of iPhones and iPads. Apple ultimately updated iOS to prevent it from storing such a detailed list of locations over such a long period of time. Version 4.3.3, according to Wikipedia, was released a month after the bug came to light. The changes included reducing the size of the "crowd-sourced location database," no longer backing it up to iTunes, and deleting it entirely when location services were turned off.

Is this the change that broke the hearts of NSA agents by preventing them from tracking the long-term movements of iPhone users? Probably. Researcher Warden confirmed to Ars that 4.3.3 was the release that closed the snooping hole he and Allan disclosed. But even if it's not, the geolocation caching behavior is a good example of the way even innocuous-sounding features designed to improve users' experiences can be used maliciously against them by adversaries. The Spiegel article goes on to say that NSA agents describe such attacks as exploiting the "carefree approach many users take to the device." One NSA document cited referred to the attitude as "nomophobia"—short for no mobile phobia—since the only thing agents perceived users fearing was the lack of connectivity.

After their discovery became public, Warden and Allan learned that forensic investigators had been exploiting the bug for years to dredge up the comings and goings of iPhone users involved in civil or criminal court cases.

"It's interesting to see the NSA was using it to snoop around, too," Warden said in a phone interview.

Promoted Comments

But even if it's not, the geolocation caching behavior is a good example of the way even innocuous-sounding features designed to improve users' experiences can be used maliciously

How is that 'maliciously' when all these tactics are performed by the law enforcement? You first have to provide evidence of the malicious fact. This is not journalism at all if you make value judgements all over the place.

The NSA is not a law enforcement agency. Also spying is a malicious activity, regardless of if the people being spied upon are good or bad or if the spying is justifiable.

[quote=JousleThis is not journalism at all if you make value judgements all over the place.[/quote]

That's one very narrow, and idiosyncratic definition of journalism.

I would say that 1) any journalist who is incapable of making value judgements about this behavior is not worth reading and 2) you want journalists who make the opposite value judgement, that law enforcement is a priori not malicious.

But even if it's not, the geolocation caching behavior is a good example of the way even innocuous-sounding features designed to improve users' experiences can be used maliciously

How is that 'maliciously' when all these tactics are performed by the law enforcement? You first have to provide evidence of the malicious fact. This is not journalism at all if you make value judgements all over the place.

The NSA is not a law enforcement agency. Also spying is a malicious activity, regardless of if the people being spied upon are good or bad or if the spying is justifiable.

"eports that smartphones powered by Apple's iOS, Google's Android, and Blackberry's operating systems are among the devices government spies exploit when they want to intercept a target's communications"

Could it be NSA is actually combatting terrorism in a different way than what we assume?As we know, terrorists hates our freedoms; so by taking them away they will make us less of a target?

“Go back to bed, America. Your government has figured out how it all transpired. Go back to bed, America. Your government is in control again. Here. Here's American Gladiators. Watch this, shut up. Go back to bed, America. Here is American Gladiators. Here is 56 channels of it! Watch these pituitary retards bang their fucking skulls together and congratulate you on living in the land of freedom. Here you go, America! You are free to do what we tell you! You are free to do what we tell you!”

Because you have no expectation of privacy if there is a bug in the software you're using.

I'm not so sure this was really a bug, given the revelations that the NSA has been influencing programmers and standards for years. It's entirely possible that someone working for the NSA slipped this in there hoping no one would notice.

Sadly, I love conspiracy thriller novels and movies, and until recently I thought that's all they were -- fanciful novels and movies. Now I think they're just fictional people (and, sometimes, places) doing things that actually do happen in real life.

But even if it's not, the geolocation caching behavior is a good example of the way even innocuous-sounding features designed to improve users' experiences can be used maliciously

How is that 'maliciously' when all these tactics are performed by the law enforcement? You first have to provide evidence of the malicious fact. This is not journalism at all if you make value judgements all over the place.

But even if it's not, the geolocation caching behavior is a good example of the way even innocuous-sounding features designed to improve users' experiences can be used maliciously

How is that 'maliciously' when all these tactics are performed by the law enforcement? You first have to provide evidence of the malicious fact. This is not journalism at all if you make value judgements all over the place.

The NSA is a law enforcement agency? Since when?

Since its inception. You see, intelligence is part of the law enforcement.

"Law enforcement broadly refers to any system by which some members of society act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering and punishing persons who violate the rules and norms governing that society"

Now, if you do not consider a organization that helps to catch terrorists and traitors that try to blow up a society, as part of law enforcement, then i guess they are a mafia for you.

The NSA is NOT an office of law enforcement by ANY stretch. They may frequently cooperate with offices which *are*, such as the FBI, but they ARE NOT. They. Are. A. Spy. Agency. Spying is not law enforcement. Regardless of whether you think it's ethical, justified, a necessary evil, or reprehensible, it is NOT in the business of upholding the rule of law. It is in the business of getting as much information as it can by whatever means it thinks it can get away with. Some of that information is USEFUL to law enforcement, most of it is not.

But even if it's not, the geolocation caching behavior is a good example of the way even innocuous-sounding features designed to improve users' experiences can be used maliciously

How is that 'maliciously' when all these tactics are performed by the law enforcement? You first have to provide evidence of the malicious fact. This is not journalism at all if you make value judgements all over the place.

The NSA is a law enforcement agency? Since when?

Since its inception. You see, intelligence is part of the law enforcement.

"Law enforcement broadly refers to any system by which some members of society act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering and punishing persons who violate the rules and norms governing that society"

Now, if you do not consider a organization that helps to catch terrorists and traitors that try to blow up a society, as part of law enforcement, then i guess they are a mafia for you.

Well the Mafia is also a "system by which some members of society act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering and punishing persons who violate the rules and norms governing that society", so...

I wonder how many people have been caught smuggling things into the country by getting pulled in for a random check when crossing the border from Canada or Mexico and using an iPhone.

You have to leave all electronic devices in the car while they send you inside, and they aren't required to have probable cause to search your phone when you cross the border. If all they have to do is connect it to a computer running iTunes to get geolocation data, they can see if you were recently at the location of known criminals involved in smuggling and take a closer look at the car if you were.

Could it be NSA is actually combatting terrorism in a different way than what we assume?As we know, terrorists hates our freedoms; so by taking them away they will make us less of a target?

“Go back to bed, America. Your government has figured out how it all transpired. Go back to bed, America. Your government is in control again. Here. Here's American Gladiators. Watch this, shut up. Go back to bed, America. Here is American Gladiators. Here is 56 channels of it! Watch these pituitary retards bang their fucking skulls together and congratulate you on living in the land of freedom. Here you go, America! You are free to do what we tell you! You are free to do what we tell you!”

But even if it's not, the geolocation caching behavior is a good example of the way even innocuous-sounding features designed to improve users' experiences can be used maliciously

How is that 'maliciously' when all these tactics are performed by the law enforcement? You first have to provide evidence of the malicious fact. This is not journalism at all if you make value judgements all over the place.

The NSA is a law enforcement agency? Since when?

Since its inception. You see, intelligence is part of the law enforcement.

"Law enforcement broadly refers to any system by which some members of society act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering and punishing persons who violate the rules and norms governing that society"

Now, if you do not consider a organization that helps to catch terrorists and traitors that try to blow up a society, as part of law enforcement, then i guess they are a mafia for you.

I think most people consider intelligence to be part of either the military or the State Department, neither of which is generally considered to be part of law enforcement.

The popular "see where your friends/family are" or "see which friends/family are nearby" tell advertisers where you are and who you're with; police can get that info from advertisers, or just get the app-writers to add extra "family members" like "your Big Brother" the same way they add that local restaurant or nightclub. And why <i>did</i> Angry Birds collect geolocation info, anyway?

But even if it's not, the geolocation caching behavior is a good example of the way even innocuous-sounding features designed to improve users' experiences can be used maliciously

How is that 'maliciously' when all these tactics are performed by the law enforcement? You first have to provide evidence of the malicious fact. This is not journalism at all if you make value judgements all over the place.

The NSA is a law enforcement agency? Since when?

Since its inception. You see, intelligence is part of the law enforcement.

"Law enforcement broadly refers to any system by which some members of society act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering and punishing persons who violate the rules and norms governing that society"

Now, if you do not consider a organization that helps to catch terrorists and traitors that try to blow up a society, as part of law enforcement, then i guess they are a mafia for you.

That sounds like a military to me. You know, like the US DOD, which the NSA is a part of.

But even if it's not, the geolocation caching behavior is a good example of the way even innocuous-sounding features designed to improve users' experiences can be used maliciously

How is that 'maliciously' when all these tactics are performed by the law enforcement? You first have to provide evidence of the malicious fact. This is not journalism at all if you make value judgements all over the place.

The NSA is a law enforcement agency? Since when?

Since its inception. You see, intelligence is part of the law enforcement.

"Law enforcement broadly refers to any system by which some members of society act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering and punishing persons who violate the rules and norms governing that society"

Now, if you do not consider a organization that helps to catch terrorists and traitors that try to blow up a society, as part of law enforcement, then i guess they are a mafia for you.

The NSA gathers information. They don't arrest people, or enforce laws. The military gathers information on terrorists and in some circumstances they might even apprehend them. However, the military has different rules of engagement and should not be used as law enforcement except in an emergency. They aren't trained to handle situations like law enforcement is, and training them as law enforcement can be detrimental to their primary duties. I'm not saying that law enforcement is there to arrest people and the military is there to kill people, but they have different duties and rules of engagement.

NSA is the worst form of law enforcement, enforcers without any accountability. Local cops have gang units to keep track of local thugs and when they were arrested, it is reported and you see the perps in court. Hoover and the FBI did it to the mafia but it gets reported and you see them in court.

Now the NSA can launch drone strikes or send in the jackboots in the name of national security, but how many have we seen in court? You are guilty and forget about being proved innocent.

Quoting Flatrock19:The NSA is NOT an office of law enforcement by ANY stretch. They may frequently cooperate with offices which *are*, such as the FBI, but they ARE NOT. They. Are. A. Spy. Agency. Spying is not law enforcement. Regardless of whether you think it's ethical, justified, a necessary evil, or reprehensible, it is NOT in the business of upholding the rule of law. It is in the business of getting as much information as it can by whatever means it thinks it can get away with. Some of that information is USEFUL to law enforcement, most of it is not.

But even if it's not, the geolocation caching behavior is a good example of the way even innocuous-sounding features designed to improve users' experiences can be used maliciously

How is that 'maliciously' when all these tactics are performed by the law enforcement? You first have to provide evidence of the malicious fact. This is not journalism at all if you make value judgements all over the place.

The NSA is not a law enforcement agency. Also spying is a malicious activity, regardless of if the people being spied upon are good or bad or if the spying is justifiable.

Is not a law enforcement agency but it is a tool for law enforcement since it is a specialized source of intelligence not only for the military, but for the FBI and other agencies too . Spying , to gather intelligence, is not malicious a priory unless you use it for malicious activities. That should not be so hard to understand but it seems to be for some people. 'Spying' is nothing new, wiretapping, undercover agents, etc have been part of the law enforcement since the beginning . Like it or not .

But even if it's not, the geolocation caching behavior is a good example of the way even innocuous-sounding features designed to improve users' experiences can be used maliciously

How is that 'maliciously' when all these tactics are performed by the law enforcement? You first have to provide evidence of the malicious fact. This is not journalism at all if you make value judgements all over the place.

The NSA is a law enforcement agency? Since when?

Since its inception. You see, intelligence is part of the law enforcement.

"Law enforcement broadly refers to any system by which some members of society act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering and punishing persons who violate the rules and norms governing that society"

Now, if you do not consider a organization that helps to catch terrorists and traitors that try to blow up a society, as part of law enforcement, then i guess they are a mafia for you.

The NSA is not a law enforcement agency. They don't enforce any law. Next time you see the NSA write a traffic ticket, or bust someones door down serving a warrant let me know. Until then, you're wrong.

NSA is the worst form of law enforcement, enforcers without any accountability. Local cops have gang units to keep track of local thugs and when they were arrested, it is reported and you see the perps in court. Hoover and the FBI did it to the mafia but it gets reported and you see them in court.

Now the NSA can launch drone strikes or send in the jackboots in the name of national security, but how many have we seen in court? You are guilty and forget about being proved innocent.

Quoting Flatrock19:The NSA is NOT an office of law enforcement by ANY stretch. They may frequently cooperate with offices which *are*, such as the FBI, but they ARE NOT. They. Are. A. Spy. Agency. Spying is not law enforcement. Regardless of whether you think it's ethical, justified, a necessary evil, or reprehensible, it is NOT in the business of upholding the rule of law. It is in the business of getting as much information as it can by whatever means it thinks it can get away with. Some of that information is USEFUL to law enforcement, most of it is not.

Citation needed.

Edit: Maybe I should clarify. The NSA is NOT a law enforcement agency, and I'd like to see proof that the NSA has the authority to launch drone strikes. Last I knew the NSA falls under the Executive Branch, and therefore the DoD and the military can't just launch drones at blow shit up, they don't have the authority to. So if the poster is saying the NSA is launching drone strikes whenever they want they have to have a citation of proof of this. The poster already can't understand that the NSA isn't law enforcement, so I'd like to know how they came to the conclusion that the NSA has a squadron of drones it flies around the world and kills people with.

But even if it's not, the geolocation caching behavior is a good example of the way even innocuous-sounding features designed to improve users' experiences can be used maliciously

How is that 'maliciously' when all these tactics are performed by the law enforcement? You first have to provide evidence of the malicious fact. This is not journalism at all if you make value judgements all over the place.

The NSA is not a law enforcement agency. Also spying is a malicious activity, regardless of if the people being spied upon are good or bad or if the spying is justifiable.

Is not a law enforcement agency but it is a tool for law enforcement since it is a specialized source of intelligence not only for the military, but for the FBI and other agencies too . Spying , to gather intelligence, is not malicious a priory unless you use it for malicious activities. That should not be so hard to understand but it seems to be for some people. 'Spying' is nothing new, wiretapping, undercover agents, etc have been part of the law enforcement since the beginning . Like it or not .

Spying is always malicious from the perspective of the spied upon, regardless of if they are good or bad people, criminal or law-abiding. Even if no action is ever taken based on the spying.

But even if it's not, the geolocation caching behavior is a good example of the way even innocuous-sounding features designed to improve users' experiences can be used maliciously

How is that 'maliciously' when all these tactics are performed by the law enforcement? You first have to provide evidence of the malicious fact. This is not journalism at all if you make value judgements all over the place.

The NSA is not a law enforcement agency. Also spying is a malicious activity, regardless of if the people being spied upon are good or bad or if the spying is justifiable.

Is not a law enforcement agency but it is a tool for law enforcement since it is a specialized source of intelligence not only for the military, but for the FBI and other agencies too . Spying , to gather intelligence, is not malicious a priory unless you use it for malicious activities. That should not be so hard to understand but it seems to be for some people. 'Spying' is nothing new, wiretapping, undercover agents, etc have been part of the law enforcement since the beginning . Like it or not .

You're confusing the roles again. Spying as used by the FBI or police is significantly different here. Think of spying as a form of violence. Violence being any encroachment on my physical being, my possessions, my "rights", or my time. So taking my house, wiretapping my phone, and putting me in jail for 10 years would be examples of violence.

In this light, Law Enforcement is the arm of violence for the judicial system. They are on a tight leash and things have to be done by the books. If they aren't they're punished by having the courts throw out the case. While people may disagree with it from time to time, it is a system people can respect. Constrained violence, like a Pit bull on a leash.

The NSA exerts a form of violence without constraint. Ever dated an NSA employee? Well, your fucked now. The NSA is not a part of the judicial system, so it lacks an effective leash. Everything it does is secret, so nobody know if it is right or wrong.

See Jousle, it's like that Pit bull off its leash, shitting everywhere and tearing up your yard as you try to eat your cereal. I'm fairly certain it's where the phrase "Who shit in your Cheerios" comes from actually. Now, I don't eat Cheerios, but I do love me some Frosted Mini-Wheats. I don't want shit in my Frosted Mini-Wheats Jousle. I don't like it, not one bit.